Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that occurs in response to a particular trigger. Knowing the symptoms of anaphylaxis may save your life or the life of someone you love.

Triggers

The most commonly documented causes of anaphylaxis are:

• Food
• Medications
• Insect venom
• Latex
• Exercise

In situations where a specific trigger remains unidentified, the patient is said to suffer from idiopathic anaphylaxis.

To learn more about common triggers that cause allergic reactions, please review the material found in food, medication, insect venom, or latex allergies.

Although comprehensive information is not available, the best estimates indicate that as many as 40.9 million people in the United States¹² suffer from severe allergies that may put them at risk for anaphylaxis—and the numbers are growing.^1-10 This growth has been attributed to the increased exposure to allergens such as latex, peanuts, and insects, particularly fire ants. Moreover, researchers are uncovering a large incidence of anaphylactic drug reactions that have gone unnoticed or were poorly documented in the past.¹¹

Symptoms

The most distinctive symptoms of anaphylaxis include:

• Hives
• Swelling of the throat, lips, tongue, or around the eyes
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing

Other common symptoms of anaphylaxis may include:

• A metallic taste or itching in the mouth
• Generalized flushing, itching, or redness of the skin
• Abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• Increased heart rate
• Rapidly decreasing blood pressure (and accompanying paleness)
• A sudden feeling of weakness
• Anxiety or an overwhelming sense of doom
• Collapse
• Loss of consciousness

References

1. AAAAI. Anaphylaxis in schools and other child-care settings. Position statement #34. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1998;102:173-176.
    
2. Sicherer SH, Muñoz-Furlong A, Burke AW, et al. Prevalence of peanut and tree nut allergy in the US determined by a random digit dial telephone survey. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1999;103:559-562.
    
3. Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, and the Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. The diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1998;101(6 pt 2):S465-S528.
    
4. Kagy L, Blaiss MS. Anaphylaxis in children. Pediatric Annals. 1998;27:727-734.
    
5. Shehadi WH. Adverse reactions to intravascularly administered contrast media: a comprehensive study based on a prospective survey. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med. 1975;124:145-152.
    
6. Katayama H, Yamaguchi K, Kozuka T, Takashima T, Seez P, Matsuura K. Adverse reactions to ionic and nonionic contrast media. A report from the Japanese Committee on the Safety of Contrast Media. Radiology. 1990;175:621-628.
    
7. Watts DN, Jacobs RR, Forrester B, et al. An evaluation of the prevalence of latexsensitivity among atopic and non-atopic intensive care workers. Am J Intern Med. 1998;34:359-363.
    
8. Liss GM, Sussman GL, Deal K, et al. Latex allergy: epidemiological study of 1351 hospital workers. Occup Environ Med. 1997;54:335.
    
9. Ownby DR, Ownby HE, McCullough J, Shafer AW. The prevalence of anti-latex IgE antibodies in 1000 volunteer blood donors. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1996;97:1188-1192.
    
10. Kelly KJ, Sussman G, Fink JN. Stop the sensitization. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1996;98:857-858.
     
11. Lazarou J, Pomeranz BH, Corey PN. Incidence of adverse drug reactions in hospitalized patients: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. JAMA. 1998;279:1200-1205.